25.11.12

BINGHAM WINS PREMIER LEAGUE

Judd
Trump said before the start of tonight’s Premier League final that Stuart
Bingham had been the best player in the competition. He was right and Bingham
duly beat him 7-2 to win the title.

This
will mean a lot to him, perhaps more even than winning the Australian Open last
year.

Some
players pay no attention to snooker if they aren’t in the tournament ongoing
but Bingham is different. He genuinely loves the game and he’s always watched
the Premier League. This year he made his debut in it.

It
is the fourth longest running tournament on the circuit and he has joined some
great names – O’Sullivan, Hendry, Davis, Higgins and White included – in winning
it.

The
key moment came a few weeks ago when Bingham beat both Mark Selby and Neil
Robertson 6-0. He played superbly in both matches, marching round the table as
if he owned the place.

After
that, with confidence understandably high, he was always going to be a handful
in the play-offs.

Bingham
has adjusted better than most to the new era. He doesn’t mind playing every
week because that is what he was doing anyway: seeking out pro-ams to keep
himself sharp.

But
you can’t beat doing it on the big stage. Last season he beat Mark Williams 9-8
to win the Australian title. He is firmly bedded into the elite top 16 and is
tonight £78,000 better off for his Premier League exploits.

He
won’t go mad in celebrating. He can’t. He’s playing again tomorrow afternoon in
the qualifiers for the Munich Open.

Another
day, another match, another chance to play snooker. And Stuart Bingham wouldn’t
have it any other way.